The present invention is directed to a mechanized apparatus to assist a crew in laying cut sod in residential yards, commercial establishments, athletic fields and the like.
In new construction, grass surrounding the construction is normally destroyed by the construction or ground shaping associated with the construction. Even without construction, grass sometimes dies or is absent from an area for some reason. Because grass often takes a long time and a great amount of work to grow from seed and, further, because the area where seed is growing is often muddy and is subject to severe washing, it is often desirable to place sod grown elsewhere on such areas to provide immediate grass coverage, erosion and mud control and to substantially improve the appearance of the area.
Consequently, transfer of sod from a growing site or sod farm to a region needing sod, especially residential housing, has become commonplace. With ever increasing demand for such sod, it has become practical for sodding crews to try to improve the efficiency of sod laying. This is accomplished by mechanizing the procedure and by substantially increasing the size of the rolls of sod to reduce the number of individual rolls that must be handled. Therefore, the present invention is designed to assist in the laying of rolls of sod, especially large, heavy rolls that weigh 2000 pounds or more.
Sod is often laid on uncovered dirt, which easily turns to mud when it has rained recently. Such mud makes sod laying difficult or halts it completely because the laying apparatus sinks into the mud. Also in the past, such sod laying has often been accomplished by a forklift or tractor which lifts the roll either to the front or rear of the device. This produces a very uneven distributing of the weight such that the wheels of the associated end tend to be driven deeply into mud or soft dirt. Therefore, a mechanized apparatus is desirable that is mechanically driven, unrolls the sod at the location where the sod is needed and spreads the weight of the sod and apparatus somewhat evenly over the apparatus and over a large area to prevent miring in mud.
Furthermore, sod laying machines must be able to traverse uneven ground and yet maintain ground contact with the wheels to provide traction and reduce the likelihood of miring or producing deep tracks. The present invention provides for articulation of the frame to help insure that all of the wheels remain in contact with uneven ground.
It is also desirable that the sod laying apparatus be able to be driven to the sod and that the sod be quickly loaded and easily raised by the apparatus. In order to accomplish this, the front wheels must be spaceable at least enough for sod rolls to pass through, since the rolls are too heavy to easily lift to the center of the apparatus. Unfortunately, when the wheels are so spaced, the apparatus will not pass through many gates and certain other obstructions. Consequently, it is desirable that the wheels be swingable between loading and gate traversing positions. Further, it is desirable that a driver be able to control such swinging from the driver's seat.
Another problem associated with a sod laying apparatus of this type is getting the apparatus to the worksite. The present invention is designed to provide for simple and quick securement of the apparatus to the rear of a transport truck using hydraulic sod roll lift arms without need for additional equipment or parts. Further, it is desirable that the sod layer have the ability to also unload sod from the truck to reduce the need for a separate forklift. The ability to unload is provided by a forklift attachment for the apparatus that can be easily attached and disconnected and which can be operated by a driver by simple swinging of the driver's chair. To reduce the weight of the apparatus during sod laying, it is desirable for the forklift attachment to be easily detached.